# Leverage (2008)

> A former insurance investigator leads a team of thieves, grifters and specialists who run elaborate cons to bring down corrupt elites on behalf of wronged ordinary people.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/6962

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 77
- Episode runtime: 42 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, action
- Created by: John Rogers, Chris Downey
- Network: TNT
- Cast: Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf, Aldis Hodge, Kari Matchett, Paul Blackthorne, Rick Overton
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103987/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: witty, breezy, crafty, playful, vigilante

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard Leverage as a clever, entertaining caper series whose elaborate cons and likable crew make it a strong watch across its run.

## Synopsis

Leverage (2008-2012) is an American television crime caper series created by John Rogers and Chris Downey for TNT. Timothy Hutton plays Nathan Ford, a former insurance investigator who recruits a crew of skilled outcasts: Gina Bellman as the grifter Sophie Devereaux, Christian Kane as the muscle Eliot Spencer, Beth Riesgraf as the thief Parker, and Aldis Hodge as the hacker Alec Hardison. Their engine is simple and satisfying: each episode, the team takes on a client wronged by a rich, corrupt or unaccountable target, then builds an elaborate multi-stage con to strip that target of money, power or reputation. Most episodes unfold as a case of the week, with the crew planning a scheme, then revealing its mechanics in stages as the plan turns and misdirects. Across five seasons of serialized character development and a steady escalation of stakes, the show remains a standalone-friendly caper with a continuing thread. Its tone is breezy, witty and crafty, with a vigilante streak that feels closer to Robin Hood than to grim crime drama. Set in contemporary American cities, it draws on the same pleasures as Hustle and Ocean's Eleven, with a bit of the team-based vigilantism of Burn Notice. Viewers who love clever plans, sharp banter and underdogs winning over the powerful will find it an easy and rewarding watch.

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